TORONTO - The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has more than tripled its stake in the largest natural gas transporter in Peru.

The pension fund says it paid US$607 million to buy another 23.6 per cent equity stake in Transportadora de Gas del Peru SA (TGP).

The agreement will help increase its holdings to 36.8 per cent, when factoring in two other transactions it has negotiated for smaller stakes of TGP, it said. The CPPIB bought an initial 10.4-per cent stake in January.

The CPPIB, which is one of Canada's biggest pension funds, made the latest acquisition from Tecpetrol International SA, Tecpetrol Internacional SLU and Tecpetrol SA.

The transaction also included the purchase of Compania Operadora de Gas del Amazonas (COGA), which operates the natural gas company.

Separately, the CPPIB said it expects to buy an additional 2.4 per cent stake in TGP from Enagas Internacional, SL and a 0.4 per cent interest from Corporacion Financiera de Inversiones. Both transactions are pending certain approvals.

TGP is Peru's largest gas exporter, and one of the largest in Latin America.

"TGP fits well with our infrastructure portfolio and is in line with our strategy to invest in key sectors in Latin America."

In a separate transaction, the CPPIB says it has sold a 51 per cent interest in engineering and construction firm Grana y Montero, and a 30 per cent stake in Enagas to an undisclosed buyer for an unspecified price.